Feeling Fine!

I have just completed my 3rd month of eating fresh, whole foods. I have lost 21-1/2 lbs. and am feeling fine - actually better than fine!!!! When I embarked on this new way of eating I suffered from chronic itching and hives and insomnia (I took some kind of sleep aid every night), my cholesterol was high and my blood sugar was high. Now the itching is gone; I take nothing to sleep and sleep like a baby; my cholesterol is in the normal range (it dropped 50 points); and my blood sugar is in the normal range, which it hasn't been in 15 years, even with medication. I have energy most days and my sinus headaches are few and far between. To sum it up, I have seen huge improvements in my health. Even my doctor was astonished at the improvement in my labs. I no longer eat fast food and when I do eat out I am very selective as to where I go. I eat just a few processed foods and those are organic. I think this way of eating is my new normal!!!

Black Bean Salad

I know a lot of people that turn their nose up at tofu - just mentioning it sets them running in the opposite direction! It is disguised in this wonderful salad. It adds protein and nutrition and takes on the flavors of the other ingredients  so that you don't even notice it is there. If you haven't tried tofu, you gotta try it in this salad.

Recipe

1 16 oz. can organic black beans
6 oz. firm tofu
2 stalks celery chopped fine
1/4 c. chopped purple onions
1/4 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. red and yellow bell peppers
Handful of cilantro leaves
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
3 T. grapeseed or walnut oil
1 packet stevia
1/2 tsp. Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning
Lettuce or Spring Greens

Rinse the beans. Crumble the tofu into small pieces. Mix together with all the vegetables. In a glass jar mix the vinegar, oil, stevia and seasoning and shake well until emulsified. Pour over the salad and refrigerate for several hours. Serve on bed of lettuce or greens.

Summer time is Salad time!

The bottom salad I served at a couple of different lunches and it got rave reviews. It is so simple -a bed of lettuce, a scoop of 4 Bean Salad and a scoop of Salmon Salad, sliced cucumbers and sliced tomatoes. You can add any veggies on the side - snow peas, carrots, celery, etc.

The top salad is a bed of spring greens, chopped tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, red peppers and sweet pickles (these really spice it up!) and a large scoop of tuna salad topped with slivered almonds. Sooooo good!

Gimme Salad!!!

I am really enjoying my salad lunches. The Mexi-salad is my favorite because by using salsa instead of dressing I am cutting down on the fats in my diet. It is also simple to make - a bed of lettuce or spring greens, fresh cilantro, whole black or pinto beans, sautéed onions and bell peppers, roasted chicken and homemade salsa. It is filling, healthy, full of fiber and nutrients! You might want to try it.

My Salsa Recipe
3 large tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 large jalapeño pepper
1 garlic clove
1/2 purple onion
Fresh cilantro
2 T. Apple cider vinegar

In a pot of water cook tomatoes and onion, drain and set aside.
Roast jalapeño until skin is charred. Remove seeds and membranes. Leave the charred skin on.
Chop garlic clove and purple onion and cilantro.
Put cooked tomatoes and onion and roasted jalapeno in blender and blend. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse blend a couple of times so that the salsa is chunky. Stir in vinegar and add salt to taste. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Back to Eden

My health journey from a couple of summers ago got derailed for awhile. The results were weight gain and a decline in my health. When I got my last lab results 6 weeks ago I modified my diet quite a bit cutting out sugar and white flour However, now I am ready to take the plunge and head back to Eden - back to eating the foods my Creator provided rather than what the food conglomerates try to tell us is food. My hope is that I can reverse the damage I've done, i.e., get my blood sugar and cholesterol to normal ranges. This time I am using the information in the book The Blood Sugar Solution by Mark Hyman, MD. I am so glad I tracked my last journey on this blog because I can refer back to the meals I was eating and the recipes I developed - knowing that they are something I can not only live with but also enjoy! I will be posting pics of my meals again and recipes.
For the first six weeks I am going dairy free and gluten free plus no grains, fruits (except berries) or processed foods (with a few exceptions).
I am on my 4th day and can already see a difference in my energy levels. Also, I am tickled pink because the warm weather has heated the pool so my swimming season is beginning early this year. I do my exercising in the pool - it is fun and stress free.
Also, my granddaughter and her family have also embarked on their own health journey, eating whole foods and a vegetarian diet. My daughter says she will also join us. Which means that we can be united in our approach to food when we have family gatherings. I am excited!
I love the challenge of creating healthy meals that are also appealing to the eye.
As I was having my morning visit with God I had epiphany: In the spiritual realm, when we become Christians we turn out lives over to God, we turn our thoughts toward God and strive to walk in obedience - that's how we do our part. God's Spirit then dwells in us and produces good fruit - love, joy, peace, etc.
It works likewise with our physical bodies. In our modern society a huge percentage of the food available to us is fake food - laden with fats, sugar and chemicals which makes us not only fat and sickly but addicted to the very food that makes us fat and sickly. Once we become aware of the turth that God provided the food we need which is full of the nourishment that provides energy and good health, then is it not the right and responsible thing to choose to feed our bodies with the fuel created for us? When we do, we our doing our part. That God-given fuel then gives our bodies what they need to keep them strong and healthy. My prayer is that I can remember this and not have this just be a temporary diet but a lifestyle I stick to for the rest of my life.

I had fun with this gal. I started with a watercolor background. Then did her face with acrylic, pens and colored pencils. Finally I collaged her hair with newsprint from an Italian newspaper.